CHICAGO: GUARDS: After playing it very safe and sitting out all of last spring, DERRICK ROSE should pretty much be his old self. Of course, he'll have to knock some rust off early in the year . . . JIMMY BUTLER was an iron man during last year's playoffs, and his role will only grow this season. His defense and energy, as well as ability to get to the line, could make Luol Deng expendable . . . MIKE DUNLEAVY is in line for the sixth man role, primarily as a long-range threat . . . With Rose's return, KIRK HINRICH slides back to the bench. His playing time will be especially limited with Dunleavy taking up minutes at the two . . . MARQUIS TEAGUE will continue to be used only in garbage time unless Hinrich ends up getting hurt or traded. FORWARDS: LUOL DENG is back on the trading block, as the Bulls learned life isn't so bad without him now that Jimmy Butler has emerged. His offensive role could be slightly reduced . . . CARLOS BOOZER will likely be amnestied next summer, so for all intents and purposes this is a contract year. He's likely to still be a disaster defensively, which means he's a part-time player under defensive-minded head coach Tom Thibodeau . . . TAJ GIBSON will finish games and likely take over Boozer's spot a year from now. He's a superior defender and, while he doesn't have Boozer's range, he's a capable finisher around the rim . . . Rookie TONY SNELL is a Thibodeau kind of player, a long-armed, athletic perimeter defender. He's unlikely to ever do much on offense though. CENTERS: JOAKIM NOAH may be consistently banged up, but he's capable of playing through the pain. Depending on the Bulls' playoff position, he might sit some games late in the year, but Thibodeau isn't shy about playing him 35 minutes per night . . . NAZR MOHAMMED is back as a designated screener on offense and hacker on defense..

MIAMI: GUARDS: DWYANE WADE will continue to take a smaller role during the regular season, as the Heat try desperately to keep him fresh for the playoffs. He's attacking the rim far less than he used to . . . MARIO CHALMERS will continue to start, playing off the ball more than any other point guard . . . RAY ALLEN will once again serve as sixth man, providing long-range shooting off the bench. He didn't start a single game last year, and at age 38, he'll rarely play full-time minutes as Miami looks toward the postseason . . . NORRIS COLE continues to inch up on Chalmers' starting role, improving nicely between his first and second seasons. But as long as Chalmers is the superior shooter, Cole will play behind him. FORWARDS: LEBRON JAMES is the best player in the league by a wide margin. There's no reason he shouldn't win his third straight MVP award . . . SHANE BATTIER is back as a glue guy, flopper and corner-three shooter. He'll play part-time minutes, often coming off the bench . . . UDONIS HASLEM will likely start, but he rarely stays on the floor for even half of a game. The Heat will continue to rotate big men alongside Chris Bosh . . . MICHAEL BEASLEY provides this team with an athlete who can put the ball in the basket coming off the bench. He must prove he can stay focused and out of trouble . . . RASHARD LEWIS may step into a slightly bigger role now that Mike Miller is gone. His troublesome knees won't allow him to play a lot of minutes, but he still shoots it well enough to help for a few minutes a night . . . JAMES JONES might have to do more than enjoy a courtside seat now that Miller is gone. CENTERS: CHRIS BOSH plays center in the Heat's small-ball lineup. He'll do his thing in the high post, and he's one of Miami's rotating rim protectors . . . CHRIS ANDERSEN did enough last postseason to earn a part-time role this year . . . The Heat hope GREG ODEN and Birdman will stagger their injuries. Oden should be part of a rotation alongside Bosh . . . JOEL ANTHONY is a half-step above team mascot.

Several years ago, an injury to LeBron James' right elbow spawned a parity Twitter account dubbed 'LeBronsElbow' that still exists.

Something similar regarding James' nose could be in the works considering the good-natured ribbing the four-time league MVP is enduring now.

James will be a game-time decision for Sunday's marquee home matchup against a Chicago Bulls team searching for a season-high sixth straight victory.

During the 2009-10 season, James' right elbow injury resulted in a phony Twitter account that currently has nearly 23,000 followers and demonstrates the popularity of the NBA's brightest star.

Now it's another body part that is in the spotlight after James' nose was bloodied by Oklahoma City's Serge Ibaka on a drive in Thursday's 103-81 road win. James sat out the final six minutes, finishing with 33 points, seven rebounds and matching a season high with eight turnovers.

He looked groggy and wore a large bandage over the bridge of his swollen, broken nose Saturday as he sat out practice.

"It has been better," James said. "It's a little bit of everything - pain, headaches, whatever. I have to get past it and hopefully get better in the next day. I'm definitely not going to rush it."

James was to be fitted for a protective mask and will likely wear it if he plays against the Bulls. That would result in more teasing from the Heat (39-14), who had fun at his expense Saturday.

"You can't be sensitive in this locker room," forward Chris Bosh said. "He's still a good-looking guy. He's still married. I don't think his wife is going anywhere."

Miami has won 10 of 12 as it faces a club it has eliminated in two of the last three postseasons that is also feeling confident. The Bulls (29-25) have been a thorn in the Heat's side in the past, and they would like to see Miami at full strength.

"Of course we want LeBron to play," Bulls center Joakim Noah said. "We hope his nose is OK. It's going to be a good game on Sunday."

These teams have split two meetings, with each winning at home. The Bulls are a different team now, having traded away Luol Deng since those matchups, but their belief remains high.

"We feel like we can compete against them; we've beaten them before," Noah said. "They're playing at a high level right now, they're playing really good basketball. They're locked in but we're locked in too so we're confident we can go out there and get it done."

James is shooting 42.9 percent against Chicago this year for his lowest mark against any team, with only two others holding him under 50.0. He has totaled only 38 points in the two meetings.

Chicago has limited foes to 85.6 points per game during this win streak capped by Friday's 117-89 home rout of Denver.

"We feel like we're playing at a high level," forward Taj Gibson said. "Our defense is phenomenal, I think."

If James is healthy, Chicago's defense faces the ultimate test against a Miami team leading the NBA at 51.0 percent from the field. That mark is the league's highest since the 1994-95 Utah team shot 51.2 percent.

"The important thing is to not look backwards and to stay locked into getting ready for Miami," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "We gotta know them well. Obviously they're a great team, they're the defending champion, everybody's chasing them. So just be ready for Sunday, nothing more than that."

The Bulls are unsure of the status of starting guard Jimmy Butler, who left in the first quarter Friday with a rib injury.